Crimson Snow
by Quelleadar
Summary: Jen has a fight sequence in a bamboo grove with a masked assailant she believes to be her master Jade Fox.


A cool winter breeze drifted in through the grove making the bamboo creak and moan as though feeling the chill. This piercingly icy feeling began at their snow-covered feet and the frigid air now caressed their slender, lithe bodies as well as the inhabitants of the area. Jen waited patiently wondering if her master was not trying to train her in combat but rather, survival. Her intricately woven silk dress concealed her sparring apparel yet offered little to no defence from the decreasing temperature. The girl thought 'If the cold does not kill me, an observer or one of my father's spies will surely find me and long questioning shall ensue as to why I was wondering in such an obscure area.'  
When impatience was on the edge of capturing the upper hand of the aristocratic child she heard the soft sound of feet shovelling their tips into the snow-cloaked earth. Expeditiously, Jen drew her sword at the sound of this distant stir that the untrained would not have been able to hear. She could tell by the speed of the step, the ferocity in their stride, that the shadow was trying to remain hidden, yet her training obviously exceeded theirs. Jen held a posture she had been cultivating for many years, through Jade Fox's tutelage, that would enable her to remain hidden from her aggressor. She held this stance for a short while until she realised that the shadow was obviously now undertaking greater caution in their footwork to not alert their already aware opponent.  
The wind made it difficult for Jen to hear anything other than the tree's songs of pain. Jen strained her hearing to try and pick up any sounds of snow shifting beneath the weight of the, presumed assassin but she could focus only on the overpowering sound of the bamboo swaying. A leaf from one of the branches of the surrounding bamboo slowly fell to the ground as though the tree itself was weeping. It was in this moment, that Jen let down her guard, but that split second was all that was needed for the assailant to dodge the trees with such velocity that it was as though the adversary had become an ebony mist that showed vague remnants of a person.  
When the foe finally came into Jen's range, she threw out the sword with such grace, precision and swiftness that even when the opposing shadow dodged to try and evade this attack the sword pierced the black, poorly sewn shirt of the assailant, yet failed to puncture the flesh. This extraordinary piece of swordsmanship was only matched by the fluent manoeuvres executed by the masked aggressor. The crisp sound of steel slicing the winter air, echoed by the boundless grove, was enough to send birds dwelling in the forest into hasty flight. Jen parried the attacker's sword movement and followed through with a kick directed at the back of the knee of the opponent, forcing the joint to bend, supplying a foothold for the nimble girl to stand and perform a soaring flip. This was followed through by accurately slicing the knot that supported the facemask at the back of the shadow's head making it descend, occasionally gliding upwards only to be coerced to the ground by the conflicting winds.  
As Jade Fox's face emerged from behind the now fallen mask Jen smirked with a sense of surprise and newfound confidence that she had exceeded her master. Jade fox soon noticed this, and quickly slashed at the girl splitting her silk dress' side stitch. This pleased the elderly woman immensely but she was soon startled to find her student retaliating with a barrage of spinning overhead sword attacks which she had trouble deflecting. The two exchanged roles quickly as now the master had locked blades with her student; the strong thrust from Jade Fox sent the girl stumbling backwards until she had her back pressed against a bamboo tree. Jade Fox maintained a sword position that would enable her to deflect any torso attacks from the girl. Jen instantly ran up the tree behind her with her back facing its body, allowing her feet to slide smoothly across its condensation covered surface. Once she had reached a height above Jade Fox's head, she launched herself off it. At that exact second Jade Fox leaped into the air and the two dodged and danced in mid flight. The fight that took place upon the wind looked as though it had been rehearsed for millennia prior to that moment. Finally, Jade Fox passed through Jen's misjudged parry and sliced her breast, which forced a scarlet whirlwind to burst through the scene of perpetual springtime that was woven into her now blood tinted silk dress. The two landed, Jen clutching her wound, Jade Fox smiling with satisfaction. 'Keep practicing. And the next time you think that a ripped cloth makes you the victor of a battle, I will not stop at a mere flesh wound girl!' The old woman disappeared into the howling breeze from whence she came, leaving Jen with only revenge upon her mind and the sound of birds in flight. 


End file.
